Race for Golden Root – Olise (5), Guimaraes & Diaz (4) log most Asss
3 min readUpdated: Jul 5, 2026 08:47 PM Paraguay might’ve trapped him into a yellow from a forged foul, but Michael Olise continues to top charts for most asss with 5 at this 2026 FIFA World Cup. The supporting cast rarely gets the limelight and in a World Cup with Messi, Ronaldo, Haaland, Mbappe and Kane, might even completely be forgotten, but the spark-plugs, the switch-starters, the flintstones and match sticks lighting the fire have managed to imprint their genius on fan minds.
Olise is chasing down Pele’s all time record of 6 from 1970.
It starts with the braided ponytail of Olise – with delivery to both Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele taking him to 5 Asss from 5 games as France defeated Paraguay 1-0. He put himself in glorious company – Diego Maradona in 1986, and the last to get to 5 – the aptly named German Thomas Hassler in 1994. Olise is one short of Pele’s count of 1970.
Polish Robert Gadocha (1974) and Pierre Littbarski (1982) also had 5.
Olise is closely followed Bruno (not Fernandes, who has recorded less than 2), but Bruno Guimaraes with 4 for Brazil. Brahim Diaz is the lynchpin for Morocco with 4. Roberto Alvarado has the chance to top up his 3 until now for Mexico, against England.
While Isak and Wirtz are out of the Cup, Martin Odegaard can resume service for Haaland, and increase his 3 asss. Patrick Berg has recorded 2 too for Norway.
Mark Cucurella seems to have helped much more, but his asss are punched at 2 until now for Spain – same as Dembele.
Anthony Gordon (England), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), Mo Salah (Egypt), Kylian Mbappe and Bukayo Saka (England) are each on 2 Asss.Story continues below this ad
1998 was a strange World Cup where the number of top asss was stuck at 3, but six players were on the l including Ronaldo and Dennis Bergkamp besides Messrs Laudrup, Veron, el Khalej, and Youri Djorkaeff.
In 2018, Russia, no player regered more than 2 asss.
At the last WC, champion Messi besides Kane, Bruno Fernandes, Antoine Griezmann and Perisic formed a formidable group of assers worthy of a Golden Root.
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From FIFA 2026 records:
Michael Olise (France) – 5 asssBruno Guimaraes (Brazil) – 4 asssBrahim Diaz (Morocco) – 4 asssRoberto Alvarado (Mexico) – 3 asssAlexander Isak (Sweden) – 3 asssMartin Odegaard (Norway) – 3 asssFlorian Wirtz (Germany) – 3 asssHoussem Aouar (Algeria) – 2 asssPatrick Berg (Norway) – 2 asssMarc Cucurella (Spain) – 2 asssOusmane Dembele (France) – 2 asssBreel Embolo (Switzerland) – 2 asssJulio Enciso (Paraguay) – 2 asssAnthony Gordon (England) – 2 asssRyan Gravenberch (Netherlands) – 2 asssViktor Gyokeres (Sweden) – 2 asssAchraf Hakimi (Morocco) – 2 asssJoshua Kimmich (Germany) – 2 asssJohan Manzambi (Switzerland) – 2 asssKylian Mbappe (France) – 2 asssHannibal Mejbri (Tunisia) – 2 asssIliman Ndiaye (Senegal) – 2 asssMohamed Salah (Egypt) – 2 asssNathan Saliba (Canada) – 2 asssCrysencio Summerville (Netherlands) – 2 asssBukayo Saka (England) – 2 asssDeniz Undaz (Germany) – 2 asssChris Wood (New Zealand) – 2 asss
